Photos of the Day

Images from a fun afternoon hug-and-tickle session...

A Look Back - November 2008

*Me and my little sister. I need to get my mom to share more pictures like this one online. They make me happy.

It's fun to take a look back at older posts to see what was making me happy a year ago. I think I'm going to do this every month from now on. Looking at pictures of A from a year ago is especially fun. Here's a little sampling of what I was talking about last November:

I Love Me List - A fun reminder of why it's great to be me. I could come up with a thousand other reasons, too. Maybe I'll do that.

Barefoot Books - I adore this book seller from Cambridge. Their books are wonderfully illustrated, and they often incorporate a celebration of other cultures. Our little local library carries a few, and A always loves them. If you have a kid on your holiday list, you should definitely check them out.

Simplifying the Holidays - We're focusing on the kids with my in-laws, skipping the gift exchange among the adults. And in my family, we're limiting the exchange to just stockings. Playing with the kids is the fun part anyway, and I'd rather focus on getting good food and drink to celebrate the season as a family.

Mini-Diaries - I use my blog to capture some of these thoughts, but I still love these mini-diaries and think they'd make a great stocking stuffer!

Are You Rude? Of course you are. Sometimes. We all have bad habits or bad days. But let's renew our commitment to minimizing the rudeness and increase the niceness.

Chocolate Pudding Pie - Have you decided on your holiday desserts yet? You might want to add this one. It's super easy and so so yummy!

Reasons I Love the Holidays - Fun looking at this list and realizing that Thanksgiving is right around the corner! Hooray! What a fun time of year. I'm going to have fun anticipating and planning for the holidays.

Sneak Peek

The office is almost done! The office is almost done! (Okay, so it's taken forever and we just found out that the paint we used on the door and a few of the shelves was the wrong kind and we'll have to paint over it, but nothing worthwhile is easy, right?) The blinds are ready to be installed, the rug is ready to go on the floor....it's all going to come together soon. Oh, I am going to have so much fun putting books on those shelves! I'll post true before and after shots in a couple more weeks, but it's great to celebrate progress.

Online Cooking Club - Week 7

*Image from Real Simple

Week 7 of the Online Cooking Club already. This week, I decided to make this recipe for Chicken Enchiladas. Similar to Joslyn, I am a person who is bound by recipes, as you've no doubt noticed. You're not typically going to see me try to "adapt" any recipes or create my own. Occasionally I'll try, using a recipe as an outline but then modifying it based on what I have or whatever. It usually fails. Every now and then it'll work, but in general, I like to stick with what the experts have created.

That said, I did make a few tweaks to this one. I used flour tortillas, because that's what I had and because every time I try to use corn tortillas, they end up chewy and not very tasty. I don't know what my problem is, and I'll try again one day, but for now I stick to flour. So instead of frying in oil, I quickly dipped the tortillas in some veggie broth. Worked fine. I used frozen corn and frozen chicken strips - both worked fine as well, and make it even easier. Also, I'd probably add some cilantro next time. Especially if you don't go heavy on the green salsa (I used bottled, by the way - don't call me a cheat, okay?), a little cilantro would go a long way I think. (Plus I just love cilantro.)

The results? Very good. A was having a bad night - perhaps all that Halloween candy gave him a stomachache - but he didn't really eat much of anything, even after I gave up on the enchiladas and offered him a bowl of cereal. So we won't use him as a judge. My husband said they were yummy, and he doesn't lie about such things. I liked them and loved how easy they were to make. And enchiladas are one of those dishes you can modify pretty easily based on what you have in your fridge. I didn't make a side dish this time, but you could serve with rice, beans, tortilla chips, salad....again, pretty flexible. Another keeper!

Halloween Fun

He is one awfully cute firefighter, isn't he? This was A's first year trick-or-treating, and he loved it! (As all kids do, I suppose.) He was super excited to put on his "lellow costume".

The first couple houses, he did a great job of saying "trick or treat!" and then politely taking one piece of candy from the bowl, and then taking another one if offered. By the last house, though, he skipped the "trick or treat" part and just reached right on into the bowl and took what he could before the person pulled it away. Smart kid. Love it.

I remember very clearly being so excited to get home, dump out my bag, and count my candy. This is exactly what A did. He then enjoyed two pieces and proceeded to run in circles around the living room.

Pumpkin Carving

I'll post the results after the big day. A chose the design by telling us what shapes to use for the eyes and nose and then how many teeth the mouth should have. Expect lots of cuteness on Saturday. It's the first year we're really doing Halloween with Aaron, and he's very excited to wear his costume. In the meantime, we had fun carving our jack o'lantern this weekend. Halloween is great!

Photos of the Day

Red Leaves, Giggling, and Rub Noses

This week's Three Beautiful Things:

1. The red leaves on the chokeberry bush in front of our house. Gorgeous!

2. The sound of Aaron giggling and screaming as he ran through the leaves and begged to be covered up again and again. *See pictures posted yesterday.

3. When I finished reading bedtime stories, I went to leave Aaron's room. He said, "Mom! Wait!" Then he asked me to come closer. He grabbed both sides of my face and pulled it to his so he could give me a "rub noses". Then he blew me a kiss and said "I love you". Sigh. I am a lucky, lucky girl.

Online Cooking Club - Week 6

*Image from Cooking Light

Week 6! I chose Oven-Fried Chicken Parmesan. Super easy, and super yummy! I am sure I used more tomato sauce than it called for, though. The panko gives the chicken a nice texture, and it was juicy and had good flavor. I served with whole wheat spaghetti and salad. Aaron gobbled it up, and so did I! Another one that we'll definitely make again.

Leaves

Hard to know which pictures to include. We had such fun playing in the leaves this weekend.

Closet Update

Okay, the deadline is almost here. For what? My organizing goals of course! I've done a pretty good job. I even got those wood hangers in my closet (see above). Such a little thing, but it makes such a nice difference. As I told K, it makes me feel like a grown-up. The only things I haven't done yet are to organize those bookshelves (still painting, if you can believe it) and to get rid of that old grill. Nobody on freecycle wanted it, but I figure I'll try again when grill season rolls back around.

Of course, the thing about organizing projects is that there's always a list of them to be done. And even when you check some off, they reappear only a short time later. For example, I desperately need to clean out the car again and replenish my driving music, especially as I restart my work commute. So for now, I'll pat myself on the back for accomplishing these goals. Next week, I'll put together my next list!

Smile!

It's amazing how much I love this little guy.

The Botany of Desire

PBS is airing a special based on Michael Pollan's book, The Botany of Desire, on October 28th. From the PBS web site:

"Featuring Michael Pollan and based on his best-selling book, this special takes viewers on an eye-opening exploration of the human relationship with the plant world, seen from the plants' point of view. Narrated by Frances McDormand, the program shows how four familiar species – the apple, the tulip, cannabis and the potato – evolved to satisfy our yearnings for sweetness, beauty, intoxication and control."

It sounds interesting. Perhaps I'll DVR it and check it out.

Recycle - Crayons!

*Image from Martha Stewart

I'll admit that although I like looking at them, I will never attempt most craft projects and even organizing ideas. I'm just not the crafty type. But every now and then I run across ideas that are easy enough even for me, and this is one. Did you know you can melt your crayons and reuse them? I already have a growing collection of crayon nubs. I don't have super cool heart-shaped tins, but I'm thinking that's okay. I'm saving this one. I know A would love it, and I love that we can reuse our crayons and not throw away all those broken pieces!

Online Cooking Club - Week 5

*Image from Bon Appetit

I've already told you that I love chowder, but despite my claims, I had never made it at home. After comparing a few recipes, I chose this one from Bon Appetit to attempt for week 5 of the Online Cooking Club. I like the additional vegetables - carrots, corn, potatoes - and anything with a little bacon sprinkled on top is okay by me (and certainly okay by my husband and toddler). I used 3 cups of half and half and 1 cup 1% milk. You could use whole milk as called for by the recipe, or go richer with half and half.

This is absolutely going in the recipe binder. It was awesome! It did take a little longer than I anticipated due to the chopping, and I think the potatoes take a little longer than 10 minutes. However, my husband described this as "restaurant quality", and after having it again the next day, he took the last few bites and said, "I'm sad the chowder is almost gone". Aaron liked it - he didn't eat a ton, but he ate it and liked it fine. This one's probably more for the grown-ups. I think it makes more than 4 servings - 6 perhaps - and it'd be good for company.

Definitely a keeper!

Photos of the Day

My boys kept me company in the kitchen while I made dinner. Don't you love the use of a tractor as a footrest?

Fireplaces, Naps, and Apple Cider

Big fat snowflakes in mid-October

This week's Three Beautiful Things:

1. I have a fireplace now, which makes the snow a little more bearable, even when it comes in mid-October.

2. My husband took over for a while on Saturday afternoon, allowing me the opportunity to crawl in bed for a much-needed nap. I don't even remember walking upstairs - I think I was asleep as soon as he said the word.

3. It is still Fall, despite the snow, and this means apple pie and doughnuts and cider. I love leaving a pot of cider simmering on the stove - it fills the house with a wonderful smell.

Greenpots

I can't justify the expense of replacing all my nonstick pots and pans, but eventually I'd like to add a few cast iron pieces to my kitchen.


Have you heard of Greenpots? Enameled cast iron made without any chemicals, and they're super cute too. Check them out!

The Fun Theory

Just another fun video that came my way this week...

Apple Picking - Take 3

Waiting for the train

Yep, this is our third time apple-picking this season. What can I say? We love apples. Aaron loves the train and the animals and the slides too. The farm is 1/4 mile up the road. And Daddy hadn't had a chance to go yet this year. I see season passes in our future, once we have to start paying for our little dudes.

Notice the big coats - it is getting chilly!!

He was scared of this slide the first time we came ("too big Mommy"), but clearly he's gotten over that.

Once again, the little guy slept through the whole thing!

Dad and son on a tractor. Don't get more fun than that!

Mother of the Year - Video

Just a little something funny to make you laugh today...

Pink Skies, Chats, and M&Ms

I didn't capture the pink sky, but October skies are gorgeous most days.

This is definitely a week that I need to focus on the beautiful things.

1. One nice thing about getting up early is seeing the sunrise. I saw a gorgeous pink sky with wispy white clouds. Orange trees and a slight breeze swaying the branches.

2. I like it when my sister calls just to chat. I don't get phone calls like that often enough.

3. I bought a huge bag of M&Ms, hoping to use them for potty training. That's not going so well, but I like being able to grab a handful of the colorful chocolates whenever I need a little sweet. (The green-brown combo is making me particularly happy today.)

Online Cooking Club - Week 4

*Image from Cooking Light

We're at week 4 already? Cool. I guess I'm just impressed that I've been able to try something new each week for a month. We'll see if I can keep it going.

For this week's entry, I chose Chicken with Balsamic-Fig Sauce. I'm always looking for simple ways to cook chicken differently. This one is easy, and I like the sweet taste of the sauce. I served with roasted potatoes and asparagus. Aaron ate all of his chicken, including a little of the fig sauce. I usually judge recipes by my husband's reaction, and his was: "Mm. I like this chicken. Figs? Yum." So it's going in the recipe binder and shall be made again.

Photos of the Day

A big boy on his bike

Fun surprise visit from my big brother, an uncle Aaron had never met

Smiles during tummy time!

A Look Back - October 2008

It's hard to believe it's been over a year and a half since I started this blog. Even harder to believe that I've been able to keep it up. I've gone through droughts of inspiration and motivation for sure, but I've kept at it, and I love looking back at old posts. This has truly become what I intended it to be - my happy place. Thanks for stopping by, and for that handful of repeat visitors, thanks for supporting me!

Here's a look back at some of what I was talking about a year ago:

What's the best dessert you've ever made? - A reminder that Thanksmas - and our annual family dessert competition - is coming up soon. Better break out the cookbooks and decide what to make. We were a little ambitious with last year's entry, and although we won, I think we'll go for a more simple recipe this year. Anyone have ideas?

Five Senses Weekend - Vermont Edition - Fun to look at pictures from last year's trip to Vermont. We weren't able to go this year due to our new addition, but I'm looking forward to Vermont 2010.

I Love Boston #4 - The Red Sox - Playoffs are about to begin. Although I've been somewhat removed from baseball this year, my Sox are in the playoffs and I'll be watching.

I Love Boston #5 - Head of the Charles - We'll be going again next weekend. Looking forward to it!

I Love Boston #6 - Clam Chowder - I still haven't tried this clam chowder recipe, but I have it printed out in my kitchen along with another one, ready to try and compare. I'll keep you posted.

The Seasonal Clothes Switch - I just completed mine last weekend. Still working on K's. Resulted in two donation bags, which feels good.

Pumpkin Fest! - Will you make it to a Pumpkin Festival this year?

How to be More Creative

My Favorite Apple Recipes - I've already made the pie and autumn apple cake so far this year, but there is plenty of time left to enjoy apples before I move on to pumpkins.

Blog Love - Simple Mom

I like the blog Simple Mom. Although it is sometimes focused directly at SAHMs, most of the posts are applicable to anybody. They post about ways to be more productive at home, tips for being more green, ways to take care of yourself, etc. The ideas often aren't new, but they are good reminders. I may share a post every now and then from them when I read one I particularly like. A few recent ones I've enjoyed include:

8 ways to pursue a lifetime of learning

Giving your child a global perspective

What to do with kids artwork

*Note: I enjoy sister blogs Simple Nest and Simple Kids too!

Read for the Record - 10/8

Do you have young kids? If so, then join this year's "Read for the Record" event. Sponsored by the nonprofit organization Jumpstart, the event is to have everybody read the same book on the same day (tomorrow!) and break the world record they set last year (700,000). You can read about Jumpstart and register for the event here.

This year's book selection is The Very Hungry Caterpillar. If you have young kids, you probably already have this classic. If not, then get it - it's a good one your kids will adore, I promise.

Good Books, Tricycles, and Kisses

This week's Three Beautiful Things:

1. I love having a good book to read. My current selection, The Book Thief, is making it nice to curl up in bed.

2. I arrived at preschool and saw Aaron pedaling a tricycle around the playground. He hadn't been able to use the pedals before. Every day brings something like this that reminds me how quickly my little boy is growing up.

3. I brought Nathan downstairs from a nap, and Aaron ran over to me, saying "Nathan nathan, do you want to see me?" He then proceeded to climb up me to give Nathan kisses.

This isn't the greatest picture of Nathan, but it still makes me smile. It already looks like the boys are up to no good together. I love it.

Online Cooking Club - Week 3

*Image via Cooking Light

For this week's cooking club entry, I decided to make something that is more targeted for adults but that can be adjusted as necessary for the kids. I made this Spicy Sweet Pork Tenderloin, and while the salsa mixture may not be a hit with kids, all you have to do is leave it off their plates, perhaps replacing it with a little mixed berry or apple preserves if you like. I've found that although Aaron won't eat regular pork chops because the texture is too tough for him, he really likes tenderloin. I served it with roasted potatoes and green beans. It is extremely quick and easy to make, perfect for those busy weeknights. This will definitely get a repeat performance in our house!

Photo of the Day

Muse - Supermassive Black Hole

Muse has a new album out, entitled "The Resistance". I haven't listened to it enough to know if I love it. But I really liked their last one, "Black Holes and Revelations". You've heard it. Here's a live performance of "Supermassive Black Hole". Enjoy!

Fun Kitchen Items

*Image from Cheftools.com

I love kitchen tools, especially essentials that come in fun colors. I love my Crate & Barrel jelly cutting boards - I have yellow and lime green. My mixing bowls are red. Some other fun items that have caught my eye recently include this pretty red bowl scraper with measurement conversions, these great mixing spoons in lots of great colors, this veggie steamer insert, and these fun wasabi green mixing bowls.

*Image from Target.com

Sara's on Apartment Therapy!

Okay, well her awesome house is. Oh how I wish I had her sense of style. I love it! Check out pictures from her very cool place here.

If I Could Register for Wedding Gifts All Over Again...

...I'd register at Anthropologie. Just looking at their dishes makes me happy.

Photo of the Day

As I recently mentioned to a friend, I believe hoodies are the essential piece of a kid's wardrobe.
Both of my boys certainly get good use out of theirs.

How Awesome is my Baby Niece?

How awesome are these pictures of my niece? What a little model she is already, without even trying! Love the bathing suit, the pose, the smile...everything! Man it sucks that I haven't even met her yet. Can't wait for the holidays!

Online Cooking Club - Week 2

*Image from Cooking Light

For week two of the online cooking group, I chose to make two new recipes. My first recipe was from Cooking Light, which you'll notice is a favorite of mine. It was a Creole Shrimp and Sausage Stew. The results? Pretty good, but not great. Probably won't become a regular. On the positive side, Aaron did well with it, eating everything except the peppers. It's also extremely fast and easy to make, so it is a great weeknight meal. I served with a multigrain crusty bread that was yummy to dip in the stew. On the negative side, I'd say it's just a bit bland. Perhaps a little extra spice would help kick it up a notch or help make it a bit more memorable.

My second recipe was from a cookbook I received as a gift - Healthy Cooking for your Kids. It was called Creamy Pasta Bake, and I chose it primarily because I was looking for a way to use the leftovers from Sunday's roast chicken.

The results? Pretty good. Aaron liked it - even the broccoli and mushrooms - so in that regards, it was a success. And it could easily be made vegetarian by simply omitting the chicken. We did use the whole wheat pasta - I'm becoming much more successful at doing that. I will probably make this again, but the only reason it won't make the regular rotation is because it is a little higher maintenance than my other standards. It made a lot of dirty dishes.

Sorry I neglected to take a photo, but here's the recipe if you're interested:

Creamy Pasta Bake, from Healthy Cooking for Your Kids

6 oz whole wheat pasta (I used rotini, but you could use shells, penne, or any other medium-sized pasta)
1 tbsp olive oil
5 oz white mushrooms, quartered
1 broccoli crown, broken into small florets
2 cooked boneless/skinless chicken breasts, shredded
1 tbsp cornstarch
1 cup milk
1/2 cup low-fat sour cream
2 oz cheddar cheese, grated (I am sure I at least doubled this)
salt and pepper

Preheat the oven to 375F. Cook pasta for 10-12 minutes or until tender, then drain. Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large skillet and cook the mushrooms until beginning to brown. Boil or steam the broccoli until just cooked, then drain. Add chicken to the mushrooms and stir well. Blend the cornstarch with a little milk in a pitcher, then gradually add the remaining milk, stirring. Pour into the pan, add the sour cream, and warm through, stirring. Add the pasta and broccoli to the skillet and season to taste with salt and pepper. Mix well, then transfer to a baking dish, top with cheese, and bake in the preheated oven for 15 minutes. Serve hot.

Another Day at the Farm

This time we had friends join us for the fun. Train ride, hay pyramid, slides, animals, and apples. Good times. Aren't these little boys adorable?

Going down the slide built for two...

The view from the top of the hay pyramid...


Holding hands on the way to the train...

Thanks, C and O for a fun morning!

That Elusive Smile

My mom has been bugging me for a picture of Nathan smiling. Although I continue to tell her that he is a happy giggly little boy, I haven't been able to offer proof. When I try to capture his smiles, this is what I get:

9 times out of 10 I get this, the "whatchyoutalkinbout, Willis?" expression...


Sometimes I get the very end of a smile, as it's going away...



And this is as close as I've gotten so far, but I promise I'll keep trying, Mom!

Jeans, September, and Chubby Baby Fingers

*A playing with a monkey on his back didn't even make the list! That's how good life is.

During a conversation last week, my sister mentioned that she and her husband were going to write down their happy lists, just to remind themselves of all the happy and positive things in their lives. It reminded me that I've been slacking on posting my weekly three beautiful things. A one-time happy list is good and fun, but it's important to maintain your focus on the infinite wonderful things life has to offer. So I am renewing my efforts, and here are this week's Three Beautiful Things:

1. I'm back in all my own clothes, and I've donated all my maternity clothes. Wearing my own jeans is such a beautiful thing. Knowing that my pregnant days are behind me is a bittersweet but beautiful thing as well.

2. Cool and crisp September days with clear blue skies and orange trees. Last week's quote from A: "Mom, look at that tree! The leaves are turning orange and red and yellow. Isn't that cool? I like it when the trees do that."

3. I love the way Nathan holds on to the neck of my shirt when he's nursing. I could stroke his soft pudgy fingers all day long.

Blog Love - Closet Cooking

*Pumpkin Bread with Dried Cranberries, Toasted Pecans, and White Chocolate Chips.

I haven't tried it yet but.....YUM!

I recently discovered another fun cooking blog: Closet Cooking. Tons of ideas and nice pictures too. Check it out!

Banana Bars

*Image from here

Okay, I realize my blog has been mostly pictures of my boys and recipes lately, but I guess that's a reflection of what my life has been lately. We are officially in baking season, and I'm also participating in the online cooking group, so there will no doubt be more recipes in the coming weeks. We're also going apple-picking tomorrow, so you know what that means: pie! (and cake and turnovers and whatever other yummy things I decide to do with apples this year.)

So what puts you in a baking mood? For me, all it takes is a cool day. I've also been more motivated lately by my toddler. Aaron enjoys helping me cook now, especially baking, and that makes it that much more fun. Yesterday, it was two big brown bananas that put me in the mood. I could've made a banana bread, but I decided instead on these awesome banana bars. I'd made them before but haven't had them in a while. They are GOOD! Seriously. I'm adding them to my sidebar now. Definitely a keeper.

I used regular chocolate chips instead of the minis, which is totally fine. I think my favorite part of this recipe is the fact that it says it makes 48 bars. Totally cracks me up every time I see that! It makes about half that for any normal person. And you will probably eat four of them in a single sitting. I've eaten about half the sheet today, little bite by little bite. Addictive. So beware, but enjoy. Happy baking!

We Went to the Zoo and All I Got...

...were these fuzzy photos. (That's an ostrich in the background in case you were curious.) Aaron wanted nothing to do with getting his picture taken when we were looking at the animals, but he was excited when eating lunch. Unfortunately, my camera focused on his cup. Ah well. We had a good time, and it's all about the experience anyway, right?

Happeez

Have you heard of Happeez? It's a line of products like magnets, notepads, etc, that stick to lots of surfaces where magnets can't, such as stainless steel, mirrors, and glass. They're also really cute! Check them out at Mayfair Lane.

Photos of the Day

More tummy time...